PH deplores Israel strike on Qatar territory

The Philippines on Wednesday deplored Israel's attack against Hamas officials on Qatar's territory, calling it a "grave violation of international law."

Israel on Tuesday launched a strike in Qatar's capital of Doha, angering the Qatari government, which condemned the action as "cowardly."

Manila, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, said the Doha attack violates the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the United Nations Charter. 

Qatar, which hosts Hamas' political base since 2012, has acted as a mediator alongside Egypt for a ceasefire in the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza.

"The Philippines highlights the need for parties to the conflict in Gaza to agree to an immediate and permanent ceasefire, uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, ensure the protection of civilians, and work towards a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East," the DFA said in a statement.

Manila, who is facing aggression by China in the West Philippine Sea, has been a strong advocate of the rule of law, consistently calling for adherence to the United Nations Charter, the Vienna Conventions governing inter-state relations, and in the maritime domain under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Seas.

Echoing the calls and sentiments of a growing number of countries on Israel's actions, the Philippines in August joined an increasing number of countries urgently calling "for an end to the ever-worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza."

In its strongest rebuke so far against Israel, the Philippine statement last month said it is "deeply concerned by recent developments, including the Israeli government’s planned full military takeover of Gaza, the continuing restrictions on access to life-saving humanitarian aid such as food and water, large-scale displacement, attacks affecting civilians, and reports of settlement expansion in the West Bank."

Such actions "aggravate an already dire humanitarian situation and further diminish prospects for a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East," Manila said.

It also “strongly" called on Israel to heed the ceasefire proposal as a crucial step to protect civilians and revive the path to peace.

The Philippine Embassy in Doha, meanwhile, is monitoring the situation and has advised the Filipino community in Qatar to remain calm and follow official advisories. 

Philippine officials have not received any report of Filipino casualties in the attack. There are 220,000 Filipinos in Qatar, according to the DFA. —LDF, GMA Integrated News